Other editions of book Across Five Aprils

The Newbery Award-winning author of Up a Road Slowly presents the unforgettable story of Jethro Creighton—a brave boy who comes of age during the turbulent years of the Civil War.In 1861, America is on the cusp of war, and young Jethro Creighton is just nine-years-old. His brother, Tom, and his cousin, Eb, are both of fighting age. As Jethro's family is pulled into the conflict between the North and the South, loyalties are divided, dreams are threatened, and their bonds are put to the test in this heart-wrenching, coming of age story. “Drawing from family records and from stories told by her grandfather, the author has, in an uncommonly fine narrative, created living characters and vividly reconstructed a crucial period of history.”—Booklist

Southern Illinois is a place of mixed emotions as the American Civil War erupts. For the Creightons, the war lures two sons to the Union army and one to the Confederacy, leaving 10-year-old Jethro to care for the family farm. As the war rages, Jethro does whatever he can to learn about the fates of his brothers, while the Creighton family faces its own danger. Some townspeople can’t forgive the Creightons for having a rebel son-and they’re willing to use violence to make their feelings known. In a state torn by conflicting loyalties, Jethro is forced to grow up quickly to preserve his family and their home. Across Five Aprils is a powerful classic from Newbery Medal-winning author Irene Hunt. Tom Stechschulte’s homespun narration brings out the spirit and courage of a boy who shoulders a tremendous load - and becomes a young man in the process.

The Newbery Award-winning author of Up a Road Slowly presents the unforgettable story of Jethro Creighton—a brave boy who comes of age during the turbulent years of the Civil War.In 1861, America is on the cusp of war, and young Jethro Creighton is just nine-years-old. His brother, Tom, and his cousin, Eb, are both of fighting age. As Jethro's family is pulled into the conflict between the North and the South, loyalties are divided, dreams are threatened, and their bonds are put to the test in this heart-wrenching, coming of age story. “Drawing from family records and from stories told by her grandfather, the author has, in an uncommonly fine narrative, created living characters and vividly reconstructed a crucial period of history.”—Booklist

The Newbery Award-winning author of Up a Road Slowly presents the unforgettable story of Jethro Creighton—a brave boy who comes of age during the turbulent years of the Civil War.In 1861, America is on the cusp of war, and young Jethro Creighton is just nine-years-old. His brother, Tom, and his cousin, Eb, are both of fighting age. As Jethro's family is pulled into the conflict between the North and the South, loyalties are divided, dreams are threatened, and their bonds are put to the test in this heart-wrenching, coming of age story. “Drawing from family records and from stories told by her grandfather, the author has, in an uncommonly fine narrative, created living characters and vividly reconstructed a crucial period of history.”—Booklist

[Children's Fiction (Ages 8-12)] [Read by Terry Bregy] Author Irene Hunt, who won the Newbery Medal for her novel Up a Road Slowly, went to live at her grandfather's farm in Illinois after her father's death in 1914. Her grandfather's stories of his boyhood during the Civil War became the basis for this compelling novel, Across Five Aprils. Although young Jethro Creighton never witnessed a battle, his life on the family farm in southern Illinois was shattered by the Civil War. He was nine years old in 1861 and over the next five years, he would learn that war deeply affects lives well beyond its gruesome battlefields. Join with narrator Terry Bregy as he brings to life one boy's story -- how Jethro grows from a sensitive, carefree child to a man before his time, learning to face each day with courage and finally, hope. Awards for Irene Hunt: Across Five Aprils was named a Newbery Honor book in 1965, received the Charles W. Follett Award in 1964, and the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award in 1966.

Author Irene Hunt, who won the Newbery Medal for her novel Up a Road Slowly, went to live at her grandfather's farm in Illinois after her father's death in 1914. Her grandfather's stories of his boyhood during the Civil War became the basis for this compelling novel, Across Five Aprils. Although young Jethro Creighton never witnessed a battle, his life on the family farm in southern Illinois was shattered by the Civil War. He was nine years old in 1861 and over the next five years, he would learn that war deeply affects lives well beyond its gruesome battlefields. Join with narrator Terry Bregy as he brings to life one boy's story-how Jethro grows from a sensitive, carefree child to a man before his time, learning to face each day with courage and finally, hope.

Irene Hunt was born in Pontiac, Illinois, in 1907, Irene Hunt spent her childhood on a farm that had been in her family for generations. After her father's death in 1914, young Irene and her mother went to live with her grandparents. She was very close to her grandfather, who often told her stories of his childhood during the Civil War. After college and graduate school, Hunt spent the greater part of her adult life teaching in public schools in Illinois. It was during this time that she realized the need for good historical fiction of young adults. Her own family history provided much of the material for her novel, Across Five Aprils, which was published when she was 57 years old. Hunt died on May 18, 2001 her ninety-fourth birthday.